20 Words You Should Learn if You Play Scrabble

The writer Leo Rosten said chutzpah was when a man murders his parents, then throws himself on the mercy of the court as an orphan. The word reaches us from Hebrew through Yiddish. It can mean either extreme self-confidence or shameless impudence.

You'll score at least 27 points with chutzpah anywhere on the board. Fit it into either the upper right or lower right corner going across, and you'll do better -- much better. That puts the "z" on the double letter square, giving you an initial 37. It also lets you hit two triple word squares, which multiplies your score by nine. Add 50 for a bingo. You'll wind up with a phenomenal 383 points and a major boost to your self-confidence.